Apparatus, and associated method, for notifying a user in a radio communication system of a commercially-related transaction

ABSTRACT

Apparatus, and an associated method, for facilitating notification of a user of a mobile station of a commercially-related transaction associated with the user. When a commercially-related transaction is effectuated, a report or other message indicative thereof, is generated and routed to a message generating center, such as a short message service center. Upon detection of the report, or other message, delivered thereto, a radio communication system message generator generates, and sends, a message to the mobile station. Apparatus at the mobile station detects delivery of the message thereto. And, a notifier notifies the user of the mobile station of indicia associated with the report of the occurrence of the commercially-related transaction.

The present invention relates generally to a manner by which to alert auser of a mobile station of a commercially-related transactionassociated with the user. More particularly, the present inventionrelates to apparatus, and an associated method, by which to send amessage to the mobile station to notify the user of the occurrence ofthe commercially-related transaction. The commercially-relatedtransaction is, for instance, a charge or debit to a charge account ofthe user or, for instance, issuance of a merchant receipt, evidencingpurchase of a good. Near-immediate notification is provided to the user.Nonauthorized charges to the user's account are thereby promptlyascertainable by the user. And, sales receipts are electronicallyprovided to the user, thereafter to be made available for review in adesired format.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Operation of a communication system provides for the communicationbetween spaced-apart locations. Communication stations positioned at thespaced-apart locations are connected by way of a communication channel.Data is communicated between the communication stations by way of thecommunication channel.

At least one of the communication stations forms a sending station atwhich data is sourced. And, at least one of the communication stationsforms a receiving station. Data sourced at the sending station iscommunicated by way of the communication channel to the receivingstation.

A radio communication system is an exemplary type of communicationsystem. A radio system utilizes a radio link upon which to define thecommunication channels upon which data is communicated. The needotherwise to connect the communication stations by way of a wirelineconnection is obviated as radio links are instead utilized upon which todefine the communication channels.

A type of radio communication system that has achieved significantlevels of commercial implementation and usage is a cellularcommunication system. Telephonic communication of voice, as well asnonvoice, data is effectuable in a typical cellular communicationsystem. Cellular communication systems have been installed throughoutsignificant parts of the populated portions of the world. And, variouscellular communication standards have been promulgated, setting forththe operational parameters of the various different cellularcommunication systems.

A cellular communication system includes a fixed, network part thatforms the infrastructure of the system. The fixed network infrastructureincludes fixed-site, base transceiver stations. The fixed-site, basetransceiver stations are positioned at spaced-apart locations, and eachbase transceiver station defines an area, referred to as a cell. Thenetwork infrastructure of the cellular communication system is coupledto a core network, such as a packet data backbone or a public-switched,telephonic network (PSTN). Communication devices, such as computerservers, telephonic stations, etc., are connected to, or form portionsof, the core network.

Telephonic communications are effectuated in a cellular communicationsystem, typically, through utilization of a mobile station. A mobilestation is a radio transceiver, typically of dimensions to permit itscarriage by a user. Usage of the cellular communication system throughwhich to communicate is typically permitted pursuant to purchase of aservice subscription for service to communicate therethrough. Users aresometimes referred to as being subscribers and communicatetelephonically through operation of a mobile station.

Significant segments of the population in which cellular communicationsystems have been installed subscribe for cellular communicationservices. And, as cellular communication systems increasingly areconstructed to provide for packet-based communications, additional typesof communication services are becoming available therein.

For instance, short message service (SMS) and GPRS (General Packet RadioService) messaging are both representative of packet-based messagingservices available in certain cellular communication systems. Analogous,packet-based messaging services are available in other types of cellularcommunication systems, such as, for example, EMS and MMS messagingservices to effectuate packet-based messaging. Mobile stationsconstructed to be operable in various ones of such cellularcommunication systems that provide for the messaging services are ableto receive, operate upon, and display in a desired manner, suchmessages.

Asymmetric communication of such messages, such as by way of pushmessaging, is generally available in cellular communication systems thatprovide for the package-based messaging services.

Full advantage has not, however, yet been made of new communicationpossibilities available through the use of messaging services. Forinstance, reporting functions, reporting upon the occurrence ofcommercially-related transactions associated with a user, or the accountof a user, generally do not make use of messaging services.

For instance, charges accruing to a charge or debit account of the userare conventionally reported to the user, in written form, byconventional mail procedures. One who maintains a charge or debitaccount, generally, receives monthly, or other, statements reporting oncharges and debits made to the account during a preceding month, orother billing interval. Unauthorized use of the charge or debit accountis thereby not regularly made known until the written statement isreceived and reviewed. And, while on-line access to the account summarypermits more-immediate access to statement reports, such accessing ofthe on-line statements requires that the cardholder take the steps toreview the on-line statement.

Also, conventionally, receipts evidencing purchase of a good or serviceare conventionally provided in printed form. The receipts are generallyof a non-standardized format and also are easily misplaced, oncedelivered.

Any manner by which to improve upon reporting of commercially-relatedtransactions, such as reporting on charges to a charge account ordelivery of a receipt evidencing purchase of a good or service, throughthe use of a messaging service would therefore be advantageous.

It is in light of this background information related to messagingservices that the significant improvements of the present invention haveevolved.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention, accordingly, advantageously provides apparatus,and an associated method, by which to alert a user of a mobile stationof a commercially-related transaction associated with the user.

Through operation of an embodiment of the present invention, a manner isprovided by which to send a message to the mobile station to notify theuser of the occurrence of the commercially-related transaction.

The commercially-related transaction is any of a wide range of differenttypes of transactions. For instance, the commercially-relatedtransaction is a charge, or a debit, to a charge account of the user.And, the commercially-related transaction is, for instance, the issuanceof a merchant receipt evidencing, e.g., the purchase of a good.

Sending of the message to notify the user of the occurrence of thecommercially-related transaction provides the user with near-immediatenotification of the occurrence of the transaction. When the occurrenceof a charge or debit to a charge account of the user is unauthorized,the user is able immediately to take corrective action. And, when amerchant receipt is electronically provided to the mobile station, theuser is able also quickly to determine the accuracy of the receipt aswell as further to provide a manner by which to obtain the merchantreceipt information in a standardized format.

In one aspect of the present invention, an account manager, a thirdparty, manages the charge account associated with a user. The user alsomaintains a subscription for service in a cellular, or other radio,communication system. Or, the user is at least able to receive datamessages at a mobile station operable in a radio communication system.The account manager receives indications, generated in conventionalmanner, that identify the transactions, e.g., both debits and credits,made to the account of the user. When the account manager is informed ofthe transaction charged to the account of the user, the account manager,in turn, sends a message to a radio communication system messagingcenter upon notification of the transaction to the charge account. Theradio communication system messaging center, in turn, generates a radioair interface-formatted message for communication to the mobile station.Upon delivery at the mobile station, the message is displayed, therebyto notify the user of the mobile station of the transaction to theuser's charge account. If the charged transaction is authorized, theuser is able to take corrective action.

Because the account manager forwards an indication of the transaction tothe radio communication system messaging service center immediately uponbeing informed of the transaction, and the radio communication systemmessage center, in turn generates the message for communication to themobile station also immediately, the user of the mobile station isnotified of the transaction in a near-instantaneous manner.

In another aspect of the present invention, each time in which amerchant transaction is generated, the merchant generates a transactionreport indicating the merchant transaction. The merchant transaction is,for instance, a transaction related to the sale of a good or service orfor the return for crediting thereof. When the transaction iseffectuated, the merchant generates an electronic report, reporting onthe transaction. The report is forwarded to a radio communication systemmessaging center, such as an SMS service center. Upon detection of thereport at the service center, the radio communication system messagingcenter, in turn, generates a message for communication to the mobilestation of the user, reporting on the transaction. The user of themobile station might well be carrying the mobile station when thetransaction with the merchant is effectuated and, therefore, also whenthe report is generated and sent by the radio communication systemmessaging center. Because the receipt evidencing the merchanttransaction is in electronic form, the hard copy of the merchant receiptis not susceptible to being misplaced. And, because the merchant receiptis in electronic form, the informational content thereof is displayablein any selected format. Merchant receipts evidencing transactions at anyof many different merchants are thereby formatable in a common format.And, additional indexing and sorting can be performed upon the merchantreceipts.

In another aspect of the present invention, network apparatus isprovided for a message generating center to facilitate notification to auser of the occurrence of a commercially-related transaction. Thenetwork apparatus receives reports generated by an account manager, suchas a merchant or a charge account manager. And, responsive to reportsdelivered thereto, the network apparatus generates a radio communicationsystem message for communication to a mobile station. The messageincludes indicia associated with the report provided to the messagegenerating center.

In another aspect of the present invention, mobile-station apparatus isprovided. The mobile-station apparatus operates to detect delivery of areporting message, reporting on a commercially-related transaction,associated with the user of the mobile station. The message forms anotification, notifying the user of the mobile station of the occurrenceof the commercially-related transaction. The message is displayable inany desired format. Thereby, reports generated by different agents aredisplayed pursuant to a common format, if desired.

In these and other aspects, therefore, apparatus, and an associatedmethod, is provided for a radio communication system. The radiocommunication system has a network part to which at least a firstcommercially-related transaction station is coupled. And, the radiocommunication system further has a mobile station operable by a user atleast to receive data communicated thereto. Network apparatusfacilitates electronic notification to the user of acommercially-related transaction identified by the commercially-relatedtransaction statement. A message-center detector is coupled to thenetwork part. The message-center detector detects atransaction-station-generated message generated by thecommercially-related transaction associated with the user. Amessage-center message generator is coupled to the message-centerdetector. The message-center message generator generates atransaction-related message for communication to the mobile station.

A more complete appreciation of the present invention and to the scopethereof can be obtained from the accompanying drawings that are brieflysummarized below, the following detailed description of thepresently-preferred embodiments of the invention, and the appendedclaims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a functional block diagram of a radio communicationsystem in which an embodiment of the present invention is operable.

FIG. 2 illustrates a message sequence diagram representative ofsignaling generated during operation of an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 3 illustrates another message sequence diagram, also representativeof signaling generated during operation of an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 4 illustrates a message sequence diagram, similar to those shown inFIGS. 2-3, but here representative of the signaling generated during analternate embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates a method flow diagram listing the method of operationof an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring first to FIG. 1, a radio communication system, shown generallyat 10, provides for radio communications with mobile stations, of whichthe mobile station 12 is representative. In the exemplaryimplementation, the radio communication system includes a radio partthat operates pursuant to the GSM/GPRS (global system for mobilecommunications/general packet radio service) having EDGE (enhanced datafor GSM evolution) capabilities, as set forth in the operationalspecification therefor. And, portions of the network part of the radiocommunication system are operable pursuant to a next-generation (NG)communication scheme.

While the following description shall describe operation of anembodiment of the present invention with respect to its exemplaryimplementation in a communication system formed of a GSM system and anNG system, the teachings of the present invention are analogouslyapplicable in other types of communication systems and arrangements.And, the communication system 10 is also representative of such othertypes of communication systems.

During operation of the communication system, data is communicated withthe mobile station by way of radio channels defined upon radio links 14.Data communicated to the mobile station is communicated uponforward-link channels defined upon the radio link. And, data originatedat the mobile station for communication to the network part of thecommunication system is communicated upon reverse-link channels definedupon the radio link.

The network part of the communication system includes a radio accessnetwork (RAN) 18 that forms the infrastructure of the radio part of thecommunication system. The radio access network includes base transceiverstations (BTSs) of which the base transceiver station 22 isrepresentative. The base transceiver station transceives communicationsignals containing data that is communicated upon the radio link 14 toand from the mobile station. The radio access network here also is shownto include a radio network controller (RNC) 24 that operates to controloperations at the radio access network. And, the radio access networkfurther includes a gateway (GWY) 26 that connects the radio accessnetwork to a core network 32, here forming a NG (next generation) packetdata network. In another implementation, the network 32 forms acircuit-switched network, such as a public-switched, telephonic network(PSTN).

Devices are connected to the packet data network in conventional manner.Here, the devices shown to be coupled to the packet data network includea point of sale (POS) device 34, a commercial transaction processingcenter 36, and a message generating center, here an SMS (short messageservice) center 38. Other devices, and types of devices, are analogouslyalso connectible to the network 32.

The point of sale device 34 is representative of any of many varioustypes of merchant registry and reporting devices. In one implementation,the point of service device includes, or forms, a charge-authorizationrequest device that requests charge account authorizations for thepurchase, or return, of goods or services. When a charge to an accountis requested for the purchase of goods or services at a merchant, thecharge card, or other indicia associated therewith, is entered at thepoint of service device. A request for charge authorization is generatedby the point of service device.

The request is routed through the network 32 and delivered to thetransaction processing center 36. The transaction processing center isoperated by a third-party account manager, or is otherwise associatedwith the charge account for which the authorization for the transactionis being requested. In conventional manner, the processing centerauthorizes, if appropriate, the charge authorization and returns theauthorization to the point of service device. The merchant at the pointof service device, upon receiving authorization for the charge, ordebit, to the charge account, completes the transaction.

The authorization generated at the processing center responsive to theinquiry is also forwarded to the message generating center 38. Or, aseparate message is generated at the processing center and routed to themessage generating center reporting on the authorization of thetransaction.

The message generating center 38 includes an apparatus, shown generallyat 42, of an embodiment of the present invention. The apparatus includesa detector 44 operable to detect the authorization, or other indicationgenerated by the processing center. The detector is coupled to a radiocommunication system message generator 46. The message generator 46operates to generate a message, here a SMS (short message service)message that is routed through the packet data network and the networkpart of the radio access network and thereafter communicated uponforward link channels defined upon the radio link 14 to the mobilestation.

The mobile station 12 also includes apparatus 42 of an embodiment of thepresent invention. The elements of the apparatus 42 positioned at themobile station are also functionally represented and can be implementedin any selected manner. In the exemplary implementation, the elements ofthe apparatus 42 are implemented partly, or entirely, as algorithmsexecutable by processing circuitry. In other implementations, theelements of the apparatus 42 are implemented in other manners.

The apparatus 42 positioned at the mobile station includes a radiocommunication system message detector 54. The detector 54 operates todetect delivery at the mobile station of the message generated by themessage generator 38 of the message generating center 38. The apparatus42 further includes a notifier 56 coupled to the detector 54. When thedetector detects delivery of the message generated by the messagegenerator 38 at the mobile station, indicia associated with the message,here, the informational content thereof, is provided to the notifier.The notifier generates a notification, such as by way of a userinterface, of the indicia associated with the message. Thereby, the userof the mobile station is notified in a near-instantaneous manner, of thetransaction entered at the point of service device. If the transactionis unauthorized, the user is able to take immediate action. The needotherwise to wait for a conventional, written report to be mailed to theuser is obviated. And, the need otherwise for the user to access aninternet location to obtain an updated listing of the transactionsassociated with the charge account is also obviated. Automatic deliveryof the message, and subsequent notification, is instead made.

In another implementation, operation of an embodiment of the presentinvention provides a user of a mobile station with a receipt evidencinga commercial transaction, such as the purchase of goods or services. Thepoint of service device is, accordingly, also representative of amerchant processing device such as a cash register. The cash register,or other merchant device, generates an electronic receipt evidencing themerchant transaction with the user of the mobile station.

In one implementation, the electronic receipt is routed to the messagegenerating center 38, detected thereat by the detector 44 of theapparatus 42. A radio communication system message is generated by themessage generator 46, thereafter routed through the network 32 and radioaccess network 18 to be communicated to the mobile station. The user ofthe mobile station is thereby provided with an electronic receiptevidencing the merchant transaction.

In another implementation, the elements of the apparatus 42 are embodiedwithin the point of service device, and a localized radio link, hererepresented by the arrow 14′ with the mobile station, here representedat 12′. The localized radio link forms, for instance a Bluetoothconnection, and both of the point of service device and the mobilestation include Bluetooth devices to permit effectuation of suchdelivery of the receipt to the mobile station.

Because the receipt is delivered to the user of the mobile station inelectronic form, the receipt is not usually susceptible to loss. And,the user of the mobile station is able to format all of the receipts,evidencing merchant transactions with any of many merchants according toa common, selected format. Additionally, electronic sorting andsearching is permitted of the receipts.

FIG. 2 illustrates a message sequence diagram, shown generally at 64,that represents signaling generated during exemplary operation of thecommunication system 10, and the embodiment of the present inventionoperable therein. The message sequence diagram is representative ofgeneration of a message notifying a user of a mobile station of activityin a charge account maintained by the user.

First, and as indicated by the segment 66, a charge authorizationrequest is generated by the point of service device 34, forcommunication to a commercially-related transaction processing center36. The renter is operated by a third-party. A determination is made atthe processing center whether the charge-authorization request isgranted, a message is generated and routed, as indicated by the segment72, to the message generating center 38.

Delivery of the message at the message generating center is detected.And, responsive thereto, a radio communication system message, such asan SMS message, is generated and routed, as indicated by the segments 74through the packet data network, the radio access network 18, and theradio link 14, and delivered to the mobile station 12. Once delivered tothe mobile station, indicia associated with the message is provided tothe user, such as by way of a visual display thereof on a user interfacedisplay.

FIG. 3 illustrates a message sequence diagram, shown generally at 78,also representative of signaling generated during operation of thecommunication system 10 having an embodiment of the present inventionoperable therein. Here, the signaling is representative of a manner bywhich a user of a mobile station is provided with information associatedwith a merchant transaction, such as a purchase or sale of a good orservice by the user of the mobile station. First, and as indicated bythe segment 78, when the transaction occurs, a point of service device,such as a cash register, operated by the merchant generates a reportevidencing the effectuation of the merchant transaction. The report isrouted through a packet data network and delivered to the messagegenerating service center 38. Once delivery of the report is detected atthe message generating service center, a radio communication systemmessage is generated and sent, indicated by the segment 84, by way ofthe network 32, the radio access network 18, and the radio link 14, fordelivery to the mobile station 12. When delivered at the mobile station,the message is detected, and a notification is generated indicatinginformation associated with the merchant receipt. The information isboth sortable and displayable in any selected format.

FIG. 4 illustrates another message sequence diagram, shown generally at88, representative of alternate operation of an embodiment of thepresent invention. Here, again, signaling generated to provide a user ofa mobile station with a report evidencing effectuation of a merchanttransaction. In contrast to the signaling shown with respect to themessage sequence diagram shown in FIG. 3, here, the signaling utilizes alocalized radio link.

When the merchant transaction is effectuated, the point of servicedevice 34, such as a cash register, generates a signal that is sentpursuant to a localized radio communication system, such as a Bluetoothsystem, directly to the mobile station. The mobile station includesappropriate circuitry for detecting the localized radio signal generatedby the point of service device. Once the signal is detected at themobile station, a notification is generated, displayed if appropriate,and otherwise provided to the user of the mobile station to provide theuser of the mobile station with a report, in electronic form, of themerchant transaction.

FIG. 5 illustrates a method shown generally at 94 of the method ofoperation of an embodiment of the present invention. The methodfacilitates electronic notification to a user of a commercially-relatedtransaction identified by a commercially-related transaction stationoperable as part of a radio communication system.

First, and as indicated by the block 96, a transaction-station-generatedmessage generated by a commercially-related transaction station, isdetected. The message regards a commercially-related transactionassociated with the user.

Then, and as indicated by the block 98, a transaction related message isgenerated for communication to a mobile station of the detection of thetransaction-station-generated message.

In an exemplary implementation, the method further comprises theoperations, indicated by the block 102, of delivering thetransaction-related message to the mobile station, detecting, asindicated by the block 104, delivery of the transaction-related messageat the mobile station. And, as indicated by the block 106, the methodfurther comprises the operation of generating a notification to notifythe user of the transaction-related message, thereby to notify the usertherewith of the commercially-related transaction.

Thereby, a manner is provided by which to alert a user of the mobilestation of a commercially-related transaction associated with the user.

The previous descriptions are of preferred examples for implementing theinvention, and the scope of the invention should not necessarily belimited by this description. The scope of the present invention isdefined by the following claims:

I claim:
 1. An apparatus, comprising: a merchant transaction stationwhich generates an electronic receipt evidencing a merchant transactionperformed at the merchant transaction station, the electronic receipt tobe available at a mobile station operable by a user at least to receivedata communicated thereto; a message-center detector coupled to themerchant transaction station, said message-center detector configured todetect a transaction-station-generated message generated by the merchanttransaction station regarding a merchant transaction associated with theuser, the transaction-station-generated message comprises dataindicating a financial cost associated with the merchant transactionwhich is included in the electronic receipt; and processing circuitrycomprising a message-center message generator coupled to saidmessage-center detector, said message-center message generatorconfigured to generate, in response to detection, by the message-centerdetector of the transaction-station-generated message, atransaction-related message for communication to the mobile station, thetransaction-related message, once communicated to the mobile station,available thereat as the electronic receipt to the user.
 2. Theapparatus of claim 1 wherein the mobile station forms part of a radiocommunication system comprising a cellular radio communication systemoperable pursuant to a selected operating protocol that defines amessaging service and wherein the transaction-related message generatedby said message-center message generator conforms to the messagingservice defined by the selected operating protocol.
 3. The apparatus ofclaim 2 wherein the messaging service defined by the selected operatingprotocol comprises a short message service and wherein thetransaction-related message generated by said message-center messagegenerator comprises a short message service-formatted message.
 4. Theapparatus of claim 1 wherein the merchant transaction comprises one of apurchase of a good, a purchase of a service, a credit corresponding to areturned good, and a credit corresponding to an un-provided service. 5.The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the message generated by the merchanttransaction station is generated within a first selected time subsequentto occurrence of the merchant transaction and wherein saidmessage-center message generator generates the transaction-relatedmessage within a second selected time period subsequent to detection bysaid message-center detector of the transaction-station-generatedmessage.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the message-center messagegenerator comprises a push message generator and wherein thetransaction-related message comprises a push message.
 7. The apparatusof claim 1 further comprising: a transaction-related message detectorembodied at the mobile station for detecting reception at the mobilestation of the transaction-related message generated by saidmessage-center message generator; and a notifier coupled to saidtransaction-related message detector, said notifier for generating anotification to notify the user of the transaction-related message, andthereby for notifying the user with the electronic receipt of themerchant transaction.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:an authorization station configured to receive indication of themerchant transaction and authorize a payment relating to the merchanttransaction.
 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the authorization ofthe merchant transaction evidences a future third-party paymenttransaction made by a third party on behalf of a transaction account ofthe user.
 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the authorizationstation comprises a third-party transaction reporting station, whichmanages the transaction account.
 11. The apparatus of claim 8, whereinthe merchant transaction station comprises the authorization station.12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the merchant transaction stationgenerates the electronic receipt in response to the merchanttransaction.
 13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mobile station isconfigured to format the electronic receipt according to a predeterminedformat that conforms to one or more other electronic receipts.
 14. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the merchant transaction comprises anexchange of financial resources between the user and the merchanttransaction station.
 15. An apparatus comprising: a merchant transactionstation which generates an electronic receipt evidencing anauthorization of a merchant transaction performed at the merchanttransaction station, the electronic receipt to be available at a mobilestation operable by a user at least to receive data communicatedthereto; a message-center detector coupled to an authorization station,said message-center detector is configured to detect anauthorization-station-generated message generated by the authorizationstation regarding an authorization of a merchant transaction associatedwith the user, the authorization-station-generated message comprisesdata indicating a financial cost associated with the merchanttransaction which is also included in the electronic receipt; andprocessing circuitry comprising a message-center message generatorcoupled to said message-center detector, said message-center messagegenerator is configured to generate a transaction-related message forcommunication to the mobile station in response to message-centerdetector detecting the authorization-station-generated message, thetransaction-related message, once communicated to the mobile station,available thereat as the electronic receipt to the user.
 16. Theapparatus of claim 15 wherein the mobile station forms part of a radiocommunication system comprising a cellular radio communication systemoperable pursuant to a selected operating protocol that defines amessaging service and wherein the transaction-related message generatedby said message-center message generator conforms to the messagingservice defined by the selected operating protocol.
 17. The apparatus ofclaim 16 wherein the messaging service defined by the selected operatingprotocol comprises a short message service and wherein thetransaction-related message generated by said message-center messagegenerator comprises a short message service-formatted message.
 18. Theapparatus of claim 15 wherein the authorization of the merchanttransaction evidences a future third-party payment transaction made by athird party on behalf of a transaction account of the user, wherein theauthorization station comprises a third-party transaction reportingstation, and wherein the authorization-station-generated message thatsaid message-center detector detects further comprises a messagereporting on a transaction associated with the transaction account ofthe user.
 19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the transaction accountof the user comprises a charge account of the user and wherein theauthorization-station-generated message that said message centerdetector detects further comprises a message reporting on acharge-account transaction associated with the charge account of theuser.
 20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the charge account of theuser comprises a credit account and wherein theauthorization-station-generated message that said message-centerdetector detects further comprises a message reporting on acredit-account transaction associated with the credit account associatedwith the user.
 21. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the charge accountof the user comprises a debit account and wherein theauthorization-station-generated message that said message-centerdetector detects further comprises a message reporting on a debitaccount transaction associated with the debit account associated withthe user.
 22. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising: atransaction-related message detector embodied at the mobile station fordetecting reception at the mobile station of the transaction-relatedmessage generated by said message-center message generator; and anotifier coupled to said transaction-related message detector, saidnotifier for generating a notification to notify the user of thetransaction-related message, and thereby for notifying the user with theelectronic receipt of the authorization of the merchant transaction. 23.The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the merchant transaction comprises anexchange of financial resources between the user and the merchanttransaction station.
 24. An apparatus comprising: a merchant transactionstation which generates an electronic receipt evidencing anauthorization of a merchant transaction performed at the merchanttransaction station, the electronic receipt available at a mobilestation operable by a user at least to receive data communicatedthereto; a transaction-related message detector configured to detectreception at the mobile station of a transaction-related messagegenerated at a network part of a radio communication system, thetransaction-related message comprises data indicating a financial costassociated with the merchant transaction which is included in theelectronic receipt evidencing the authorization of the merchanttransaction; processing circuitry comprising a notifier coupled to saidtransaction-related message detector, said notifier is configured togenerate a notification to notify the user of the transaction-relatedmessage, and thereby to notify the user of the authorization of themerchant transaction; and wherein the merchant transaction stationgenerates a transaction-station-generated message pertaining to theauthorization of the merchant transaction associated with the user whichis detected by a message-center detector at the network part, andwherein the transaction-related message detector, is configured toreceive a transaction-related message generated by a message-centermessage generator at the network part, the transaction-related messageindicative of the electronic receipt, the transaction-related message isgenerated in response to detection, by the message-center detector ofthe transaction-station-generated message.
 25. The apparatus of claim24, wherein the merchant transaction comprises an exchange of financialresources between the user and the merchant transaction station.
 26. Amethod comprising facilitating access to at least one interface to allowaccess to a service center via at least one network, the service centercomprising processing circuitry configured to perform at least: routing,via the service center, an electronic receipt evidencing a merchanttransaction performed at a merchant transaction station, the electronicreceipt to be available at a mobile station operable by a user at leastto receive data communicated thereto, the routing including; detecting,at the service center, a transaction-station-generated message generatedby the merchant transaction station regarding a merchant transactionassociated with the user, the transaction-station-generated messagecomprising data indicating a financial cost associated with the merchanttransaction which is included in the electronic receipt; and generating,in response to detecting the transaction-station-generated message atthe service center, a transaction-related message for communication to amobile station, the transaction-related message, once communicated tothe mobile station, available thereat as the electronic receipt to theuser.
 27. The method of claim 26, wherein detecting thetransaction-station-generated message comprises detecting thetransaction-station-generated message at a message-center detector ofthe service center, and wherein generating the transaction-relatedmessage comprises generating the transaction-related message in responseto detection of the transaction-station-generated message by themessage-center detector.
 28. The method of claim 26, wherein generatingthe transaction-related message comprises generating thetransaction-related message at a message-center message generator of theservice center, the message-center message generator being incommunication with a message-center detector to receive an indication ofdetection of the transaction-station-generated message from themessage-center detector in response to detection of thetransaction-station-generated message by the message-center detector.29. A method comprising facilitating access to at least one interface toallow access to a service center via at least one network, the servicecenter comprising processing circuitry configured to perform at least:routing, via the service center, an electronic receipt evidencing amerchant transaction performed at a merchant transaction station, theelectronic receipt to be available at a mobile station operable by auser at least to receive data communicated thereto, the routingincluding; detecting, at the service center, anauthorization-station-generated message generated by an authorizationstation regarding authorization of a merchant transaction associatedwith the user, the authorization-station-generated message comprisingdata indicating a financial cost associated with the merchanttransaction which is included in the electronic receipt; and generating,in response to detecting the authorization-station-generated message atthe service center, a transaction-related message for communication to amobile station, the transaction-related message, once communicated tothe mobile station, available thereat as the electronic receipt to theuser.
 30. The method of claim 29, wherein detecting theauthorization-station-generated message comprises detecting theauthorization-station-generated message at a message-center detector ofthe service center, and wherein generating the transaction-relatedmessage comprises generating the transaction-related message in responseto detection of the authorization-station-generated message by themessage-center detector.
 31. The method of claim 30, wherein generatingthe transaction-related message comprises generating thetransaction-related message at a message-center message generator of theservice center, the message-center message generator being incommunication with the message-center detector to receive an indicationof detection of the authorization-station-generated message from themessage-center detector in response to detection of theauthorization-station-generated message by the message-center detector.32. An apparatus comprising processing circuitry for execution of storedinstructions, the execution of which causes the apparatus to: route anelectronic receipt evidencing a merchant transaction performed at amerchant transaction station, the electronic receipt to be available ata mobile station operable by a user at least to receive datacommunicated thereto; support routing of the electronic receipt bydetecting a transaction-station-generated message generated by themerchant transaction station regarding a merchant transaction associatedwith the user or an authorization-station-generated message generated byan authorization station regarding an authorization of a merchanttransaction associated with the user, the transaction-station-generatedmessage or the authorization-station-generated message comprising dataindicating a financial cost associated with the merchant transactionwhich is included in the electronic receipt; and support routing of theelectronic receipt by generating, in response to detection-of thetransaction-station-generated message or theauthorization-station-generated message by a message center detector ofthe apparatus, a transaction-related message for communication to themobile station, the transaction-related message, once communicated tothe mobile station, available thereat as the electronic receipt to theuser.
 33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the apparatus includes aservice station configured to route the electronic receipt, amessage-center detector configured to support routing of the electronicreceipt by detecting the transaction-station-generated message or theauthorization-station-generated message, and a message-center messagegenerator configured to generate the transaction-related message forcommunication to the mobile station in response to detection by themessage-center detector of the transaction-station-generated message orthe authorization-station-generated message.